pipe depreciation?

[tarheel7734]

I am wondering how much a modern pipe depreciates after it is smoked.is there a percent that is acceptable? There is a pipe i am interested in and he paid 440.00 for it unsmoked. He has a dozen or so smokes with it. It is also an English pipe that is not a Dunhill, but is of quality. The maker is still alive, so it is pssible to have one made.

 

[puros_bran]

Pipe pricing is 100% arbitrary...

If you like the pipe and feel it's worth whatever is asked just buy it. If you feel it's a little overpriced Chuck out a counter offer, worst he can say is No.

Personally I don't trust 'just smoked a few times' pipes. I can clean a pipe up to look 'just smoked a few times'. If it truly is 'just smoked a few times' the owner found it distasteful for some reason.. It may be he just likes his other pipes more or it may be the thing smokes wet and hot or what not.

 

[tarheel7734]

Pipe pricing is 100% arbitrary...

If you like the pipe and feel it's worth whatever is asked just buy it. If you feel it's a little overpriced Chuck out a counter offer, worst he can say is No.

Personally I don't trust 'just smoked a few times' pipes.  I can clean a pipe up to look 'just smoked a few times'.   If it truly is 'just smoked a few times' the owner found it distasteful for some reason.. It may be he just likes his other pipes more or it may be the thing smokes wet and hot or what not.  

He said for me to make an offer. He has only had the pipe for 3 months and feels it is too big. I will post pics once he sends them.

 

[SpeedyPete]

 

Personally I don't trust 'just smoked a few times' pipes.  I can clean a pipe up to look 'just smoked a few times'.   If it truly is 'just smoked a few times' the owner found it distasteful for some reason.. It may be he just likes his other pipes more or it may be the thing smokes wet and hot or what not.  

Yes, when someone wants to get rid of a "just smoked a few times" pipe, it means a crappy pipe to me.  The price paid for a pipe does not determine the pipe's smoking qualities and abilities.  I have a $440 Davidoff which is a crappy smoker!  I also have a $23.50, no-name Italian which is a superb smoker

I love to buy well smoked estates off eBay because it's a testimony that the previous owners loved the pipes.  This attitude has never disappointed me ever.

 

[monbla256]

With him not giving an amount he wants for it, your in a horse trade. In that situation I'd offer what i know he wouldn't take, then he needs to TELL YOU what HE WANTS for it which then gives you something to work from dollar wise. NEVER make an initial offering near what you might pay as you'll end up getting stuck. Remember the idea is to STEAL it :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

 

[SpeedyPete]

With him not giving an amount he wants for it, your in a horse trade. In that situation I'd offer what i know he wouldn't take, then he needs to TELL YOU what HE WANTS for it which then gives you something to work from dollar wise. NEVER make an initial offering near what you might pay as you'll end up getting stuck. Remember the idea is to STEAL it  :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

"THOU SHALT NOT KILL NOR STEAL".....God

 

[RDPipes]

Pipe pricing is 100% arbitrary...

If you like the pipe and feel it's worth whatever is asked just buy it. If you feel it's a little overpriced Chuck out a counter offer, worst he can say is No.

Personally I don't trust 'just smoked a few times' pipes.  I can clean a pipe up to look 'just smoked a few times'.   If it truly is 'just smoked a few times' the owner found it distasteful for some reason.. It may be he just likes his other pipes more or it may be the thing smokes wet and hot or what not.  

Too bad more don't think this way, cause I'd snatch a lot of those nice old pipes that weren't smoked but, a few times for much cheaper.
I believe a lot of the time it's a new smoker that goes out and buys a pipe only to find it's not for him and drops it like a hot potato or they had a lot of pipes they smoked and just didn't get around to that one much, or just maybe they bought it and like me decided they really didn't like the shape or how it felt in there hand and quit smoking it before it broke in.
I'm sure there are many reasons other then it's a bad smoking pipe, besides if your keep'en your eye on higher grade pipes you'll seldom run into a bad smoking pipe that can't be remedied.

 

[SpeedyPete]

Ron, it may also depend on whether you are a pipe collector or buy pipes to smoke.

I'm not a collector, I buy all my pipes for smoking purposes only. I don't care about re-sale value because I've never sold a pipe. I'f I really don't like a pipe, I just give it to a friend who might like it. I've received such a pipe from a friend last year. He had this little Sasieni Slendaline for 10 years and hardly ever smoked it because to him, it was a crappy pipe. For me, it's one of my sweetest pipes and I almost smoke it daily. I have a $440 Davidoff Dublin with which I just " can't come right". I'm cleaning it up at this very moment because I'm going to give it to a friend. He might like it or just pass it on to someone else. I don't care.

My most expensive pipe, a handcrafted work of art, was $250.00. And that is my limit. I don't need to impress others with the amount of money I've spent on pipes. I'm also not ashamed to tell anyone that I have a lot of pipes which cost me less than $100 a piece. I smoke my pipes, I don't brag with them.

 

[RDPipes]

Ron, it may also depend on whether you are a pipe collector or buy pipes to smoke.

I'm not a collector, I buy all my pipes for smoking purposes only.  I don't care about re-sale value because I've never sold a pipe. I'f I really don't like a pipe, I just give it to a friend who might like it.  I've received such a pipe from a friend last year.  He had this little Sasieni Slendaline for 10 years and hardly ever smoked it because to him, it was a crappy pipe.  For me, it's one of my sweetest pipes and I almost smoke it daily. I have a $440  Davidoff Dublin with which I just " can't come right".  I'm cleaning it up at this very moment because I'm going to give it to a friend. He might like it or just pass it on to someone else.  I don't care.

My most expensive pipe, a handcrafted work of art,  was $250.00. And that is my limit.  I don't need to impress others with the amount of money I've spent on pipes. I'm also not ashamed to tell anyone that I have a lot of pipes which cost me less than $100 a piece. I smoke my pipes, I don't brag with them.

Hey, I smoke some of my pipes, in fact you'd all be surprised at how many times I change my rotation to include one or two newly purchased pipes or pipes that have been sitting and waiting.

 

[daveinlax]

I am wondering how much a modern pipe depreciates after it is smoked.

It all depends but the first smoke is expensive and if he won't set a price and wants you to shoot him an offer 50% to 70% off retail is a place to start.   :shock:

 

[SpeedyPete]

Ron, it may also depend on whether you are a pipe collector or buy pipes to smoke.

I'm not a collector, I buy all my pipes for smoking purposes only.  I don't care about re-sale value because I've never sold a pipe. I'f I really don't like a pipe, I just give it to a friend who might like it.  I've received such a pipe from a friend last year.  He had this little Sasieni Slendaline for 10 years and hardly ever smoked it because to him, it was a crappy pipe.  For me, it's one of my sweetest pipes and I almost smoke it daily. I have a $440  Davidoff Dublin with which I just " can't come right".  I'm cleaning it up at this very moment because I'm going to give it to a friend. He might like it or just pass it on to someone else.  I don't care.

My most expensive pipe, a handcrafted work of art,  was $250.00. And that is my limit.  I don't need to impress others with the amount of money I've spent on pipes. I'm also not ashamed to tell anyone that I have a lot of pipes which cost me less than $100 a piece. I smoke my pipes, I don't brag with them.

Hey, I smoke some of my pipes, in fact you'd all be surprised at how many times I change my rotation to include one or two newly purchased pipes or pipes that have been sitting and waiting.  

\
You want me to believe this, Ron??

 

[RDPipes]

Hey, you can take it or leave it, don't matter.....I know what's true.

 

[SpeedyPete]

Hey, you can take it or leave it, don't matter.....I know what's true.

Okey, I take it or leave it :twisted: It's like when my wife asks me: "Do you want coffee or tea" and I reply: "Yes, thanks".

Btw, how many pipes do you have at the moment? 100, 200, 300, 600?

Me, I only have 75, all smoked already.

 

[tarheel7734]

The seller prefers smaller pipes and this is about a group 5. So it is just too large a pipe for his taste.

 

[RDPipes]

Hey, you can take it or leave it, don't matter.....I know what's true.

Okey, I take it or leave it :twisted:   It's like when my wife asks me: "Do you want coffee or tea" and I reply: "Yes, thanks".

Btw, how many pipes do you have at the moment? 100, 200, 300, 600?

Me, I only have 75, all smoked already.

Last count was only about 350 but, I got a whole new year now ta go.

 

[SpeedyPete]

The seller prefers smaller pipes and this is about a group 5. So it is just too large a pipe for his taste.

That will teach him a lesson :twisted:

It's like someone wearing no 7 shoes but, to spite himself, he goes and buy no elevens!
Cut your nose to spite your face :lol!:

 

[Dutch]

I am wondering how much a modern pipe depreciates after it is smoked.is there a percent that is acceptable? There is a pipe i am interested in and he paid 440.00 for it unsmoked. He has a dozen or so smokes with it. It is also an English pipe that is not a Dunhill, but is of quality. The maker is still alive, so it is pssible to have one made.

If it were me, I wouldn't pay any more than you think the pipe will bring, if you decide to sell it yourself after purchase. If you want to know what the market will bring for a similar pipe, just check ebay for a ballpark figure on used estates made by the same maker.

The reality is, that a J.T. Cooke estate holds it's value at a higher percentage than a Mario Grandi. All pipes are not created equal, therefore a certain amount of depreciation doesn't apply to pipes across the board.

I have seen some average pipes sell for very high figures on ebay, but any of those could have been a classic example of shill bidding.

Bottom line is, if you rush into an estate purchase without taking time to research the brand or maker, in the end your wallet will probably be a little lighter.

 

[monbla256]

I am wondering how much a modern pipe depreciates after it is smoked.is there a percent that is acceptable? There is a pipe i am interested in and he paid 440.00 for it unsmoked. He has a dozen or so smokes with it. It is also an English pipe that is not a Dunhill, but is of quality. The maker is still alive, so it is pssible to have one made.

If it were me, I wouldn't pay any more than you think the pipe will bring, if you decide to sell it yourself after purchase. If you want to know what the market will bring for a similar pipe, just check ebay for a ballpark figure on used estates made by the same maker.

The reality is, that a J.T. Cooke estate holds it's value at a higher percentage than a Mario Grandi. All pipes are not created equal, therefore a certain amount of depreciation doesn't apply to pipes across the board.

I have seen some average pipes sell for very high figures on ebay, but any of those could have been a classic example of shill bidding.

Bottom line is, if you rush into an estate purchase without taking time to research the brand or maker, in the end your wallet will probably be a little lighter.

+ 1  Pay attention to what Dutch has said, he's hit the proverbial nail on the head !!

 

[SpeedyPete]

It would be much easier to give a more sensible reply if one could know who the maker of the pipe is. All we know thus far is that he's still alive. Very difficult to make a guess as to whom it may be. Maybe a Nording 'cause they make HUGE pipes?

 

[daveinlax]

Very difficult to make a guess as to whom it may be.  

It's not that difficult, I'd guess it's a Ferndown. :shock: